Knitting machine and method of knitting



Nov. 5, 1946. w, BROWN 2,410,710

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed May 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 5, 1946. F. w. BROWN KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD'OF KNITTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ebb Lknu 58 NN N N NW Illi N I Q 7% I? I'M Brawn.

Patented Nov. 5, 1946 UNITED STATE rent OFFICE KNITTING TACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING 7 Claims.

when the needles are casting ofi to form a stitch,-

the needle upon which the stitch is being formed is retracted and the free end of the needle moves from the comb teeth of the needle bed, and this action forms a new loop upon the needle. The length of the loop depends upon the distance that the free end of the needle is retracted from the comb. The longer the formed loop is, the looser will be the knitted fabric.

In the knitting of sweaters, it was heretofore the practice to knit the body portion of the sweater fiat and the tail of the sweater was knit tighter than the remainder of the sweater. It is necessary to knit the tail of the body portion of the sweater tighter in order that the sweater will properly fit the user. It was the practice to knit a band or border separate from the body of the sweater and attach the same to the body by sewing or the like. These bands were employed to attach buttons to the sweater and to provide buttonholes. It has also been the practice to knit these bands upon the edges of the body portion, and following the usual practice of knitting the tail of the body portion closer than the remainder of the body portion, the lower ends of the bands were knit closer. These bands are employed to attach button to the sweater and to provide buttonholes, as stated. These bands have proven to be unsatisfactory inasmuch as the closely knit tails of the bands tend to shrink, curl or draw.

In accordance with my invention I knit the body portion of the sweater and the tail and knit the tail tighter than the body portion, as was the usual practice. The bands are knit upon the body portion and tail but the bands are knit with the same tension throughout their entire length and may be of the same tension as the body or looser for a two-ply band. This eliminates the objectionable tight knit tail embodied in the previous bands. I The knitting of the body'portio'n of the sweat-- er, as explained, is effected by using a knittin machine of the type shown in Reissue Patent No. 20,423 issued June 22, 1937, to Ladislaus Robaczynski.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure 1 is a plan view, parts in section, of the cam system and needle bed and associated elements of a knitting machine,

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the singlebutt and double-butt jacks and associated elements, and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a knit sweater produced by my improved knitting machine.

In accordance with my invention, 1 provide a knitting machine comprising a front needle bed 50, having channels ll formed by partitions l2, having teeth 13, constituting a comb. The numeral l4 designates needles of the double latch type. The needle bed I0 is stationary and is horizontal, and the'needle M are accordingly held horizontal and are adapted to be reciprocated within the channels ll. Certain of the needles M are reciprocated by double-butt jacks l5, slideable within the channels H,.and the remaining needles I 4 are reciprocated by single-butt jacks it. As more clearly shown in Figure 4, there are two sets of double-butt jacks l5 near the ends of the needle bed I!) and the single-butt jacks it are arranged between the two sets of doublebutt jacks. The number of double-butt jacks employed in each set will depend upon the desired width of the band to be knit. This number usually varies from eight to sixteen. The number of single-butt jacks It willdepend upon the width of the body portion to be knit and I may employ two hundred and twenty single-butt jacks 16. Figure 4 is diagrammatic and does not accurately indicate the precise number of double-butt or single-butt jacks, and of course the number may be widely varied. Each jack l5 and it serves to reciprocate a needle I l. The needle actuated by the double-butt jacks l5 produce the bands ll, while the needles actuated by the single-butt jacks it produce the body por-- same degree of .tension or looseness throughout.

the entire length. These bands may be of the same degree of tension as the body portion I 8 but when two-ply, they would be knit looser. The buttons are secured upon one band I! and the buttonhoies formed in the other band.

E'ach double-butt jack i has an upstanding butt 22 and an upstanding auxiliary butt 26, while each single-butt jack i6 is provided with an upstanding butt 2 I. These butts project above the shanks of the jacks, as shown.

Mounted above the jacks i5 and i6 and the needle base Iii is a reciprocatory carriage 22, which is moved over the needle bed It through.- out the entire length of the same and beyond the sets of jacks I5, Figure 4. The usual means is employed to reciprocate this carriage which,

moves in a horizontal plane parallel with the needle 'bed.

Arranged beneath the carriage 22 and secured thereto, is my improved cam construction, which reciprocates the three sets of jacks. This cam construction comprises a bridge cam 23, which is fixedly secured to the lower face of the carriage 22 by any suitable means. This bridge cam has an inner face 24, for acting upon the butts 2| of the single-butt jacks I6, and the butts 26 of the double-butt jacks I5, for controlling the movement of the several needles in proper timed order. Arranged upon opposite sides of the bridge cam 23 are stitch cams 25, adjustably secured to the lower face of the carriage 22. These stitch cams have high point 26, which determine the maximum retraction of the single-butt jacks I6 but not the maximum retraction of the double-butt jacks l5, Disposed upon the outer sides of the stitch cams '26 are guide cams 21 and 28, mounted upon the lower face of the carriage 22. The cams 2'! are ordinarily yieldably mounted upon the carriage 22 so that they may move longitudinally slightly, The stitch cams 25 control the length of the loops formed in knitting the body portion of the sweater. The stitch cams 25' .donot' retract the .doubleebutt jacks I5 for controlling the length of the loops which form the'bands H, but a separate or auxiliary set of cams is'employed for this purpose.

This separate or auxiliary set of cams comprises auxiliary stitch cams 29, mounted upon the lower face" of the carriage 22. Each stitch cam 29 is preferably adjustable to Vary the position of its high point and forthis purpose it may be pivotally connected at its inner end with the carriage by a pin 36 and may have a transverse slot 3 i, to receive a set screw '32 and a transverse slot 32 to receive a pin 33. These screws and pins are secured to'the carriage 22 and are flush with the lower face of the cams 29. Each stitch cam 29 has a high point 3A, which engages the outer or auxiliary butt of each bouble-butt jack I5 to retract this jack for the maximum distance. The inner butt 2%) of this double-butt jack I5 is disposed upon the inner edge of the stich cam 29 and will engage with the face-24 of the bridge cam 23. The high point 34 determines the maximum length of the loop pulled in knitting the band l1, and this loop is longer than the loop pulled by the high point 26 in knitting the body portion of the sweater;

The numeral 35 designates a center cam arranged between the inner ends of the stitch cams 29. Disposed upon the outer sides of the stitch cams 28 are guide cams 36, which are mounted upon the carriage 22 and are preferably longitudinally adjustable. The stitch cams 29 are now at'th'e minimum adjusted position and may have their high points 34 moved outwardly further, and when this is done, the guide cams 36 will be moved inwardly longitudinally. The stitch cams 29 may be provided at their outer ends with tails 29, to enter recesses 30'. The two longitudinal sets of cams form a passage 31, which receives the butts 26 of the jacks I5 and the butts 2| of the jacks I6.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The tension of the yarn upon the needles retains the butts 2i of the double-butt jacks I6 in engagement with the inner edges of the inner set of cams including the bridge cam 23. The tension of the yarn also tends to retain the auxiliary butts 20' of the double-butt jacks in engagement with the edges of the outer set of cams including the stitch cams 29, until the face 24 of cam 23 is reached by butts 26, at which time the butts 20' will have passed the high point 34 of stitch cam 29 and the butts 26 will then be free to engage the face 24 of the bridge cam 23, so that edge 24 will then control the action of the double-butt jacks. Assuming that the carriage 22 is at the right end of the needle bed I0, Figure 4, and is travelling to the left, as indicated by the arrow, then the set of double-butt jacks IE to the right will be first operated in the knitting of the band I! to the right, Figure 5. The auxiliary butt 20 will now engage with the outer face of the leading guide cam 36 and is brought thereby into engagement with the stitch cam 29 and will engage the high point 34. When in this position the doublebutt jack I5 will retract its needle for the entire length of its stroke and the yarn pulled back from the comb, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 2 shows the position that the needle has before being retracted by either jack I5 or IE. As the carriage 22 continues to travel to the left, each successive double-butt jack I5 is retracted and as its butt 20' passes from the high point 34, the jack again moves forwardly so that its butt 26 may engage the cam face 24 of the bridge cam 23, in proper order. The trailing stitch cam 29 engages the auxiliary butt 20' of each jack I5, to the right, as the carriage 22 continues to move to the left and the high point 34 of the stitch cam 29 again retracts each double-butt jack I5 for the maximum distance forming the longer loop inthe band I! to the right and the knitting now occurs. As the carriage 22 passes beyond the right group of double-butt jacks I5, the butts 2! of the singlebutt jacks I6 engage the inner faces of the inner group of cams including the stitch cams 25, and when the high point 26 engages the butt 2|, the jack I6 is retracted to the end of its movement and the needle will pull the yarn. When the trailing stitch cam 25 has its high point brought into engagement with each butt 2!, the jack I6 is retracted and the loop is formed and the knitting occurs. This formation of the loop is the same as shown in Figure 3, except that the loop will not be as long as the loop A but about two thirds as long.

The knitting is started at the tail end of the body portion and first produces the tail I9 and the band I I. The loops pulled by the single-butt jacks I6 in forming the tail l9 are shorter than the loops pulled by the double-butt jacks I5 in forming the bands i'i. After the tail I9 is knit the stitch cams 25 are adjusted so that the high points 26 are higher and the single-butt jacks I6 will then pull longer loops in knitting the body portion I8. The tension of the tail I9 is greater than the tension of the body portion I8. The tension of the body portion I8 may be the same as the tenslon of the bands I l or the tension of the bands I? maybe less than the tension of the bodyp rt-ion l8. The stitch cams are adjustable to vary the elevation of their high points 26 and the stitch cams 29 are adjustable to vary the elevation of their high points 34, and the action and adjustment of the stitch cams 29 are independent of the stitch cams 25. The stitchcams 25 are disposed upon opposite sides of the bridge cam 23 and have no control over the action of the jacks when their butts engag the face 24' of the bridge cam, and the same'is true with respect to the stitch cams 29.

When the carriage 22 reaches the set of jacks l to the left, these jacks are'operated in the same manner as explained in connection with the jacks IE to the right. The carriage now passes outwardly beyond the left set of jacks l5. Upon its next stroke the carriage returns to the starting position to the right. While the carriage is travelling to the right, the high points 34 of the cams 29 engage the auxiliary butts 20' retracting the jacks [5, in succession, and the knitting occurring when the trailing high point 34 retracts the jacks l5. In a similar manner, the high points 26'engage the butts 2| and retract the jacks IS in succession, the knitting occurring when the trailing high points 26 reach the butts 2|. When the carriage reaches the second set of jacks i5 to the right, these jacks are again retracted in succession by the high points 34 and the same operation occurs as stated in connection with the jacks l5 to the left.

By virtue of this operation I can knit the bands I! integral with the body portion l8 of the sweater and have these bands of the same tension or looseness throughout their entire length since the lengths of the loops in these bands remain the same, while the tail [9 of the body It! is knitted tighter than the body portion, since the'loops in the tail are made shorter by adjusting the stitch cams 25 to lower their high points.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith, shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a machine for knitting a sweater or the like having a body portion with a tail and side band, needle bed, a set of needles to knit the body portion and tail, a second set of needles to knit the band, single-butt jacks to shift the body portion knitting needles, double-butt jacks to shift the band knitting needles, a first cam structure arranged to engage the butts of the singlebutt jacks after the body portion knitting needles have engaged the yarn and being adjustable to vary the tension of the body portion and tail, a separate cam structure arranged to engage corresponding butts of the double-butt jacks after the needles in the band knitting group have engaged the yarn for regulating the tension of the band, the other butts of the double-butt jacks being adapted to engage the first cam structure when the double-butt jacks are released from the control of the second cam structure, the separate cam structure being permanently arranged in the path of travel of the said corresponding butts of the double-butt jacks during the knitting operation of the machine, and a carriage upon which the cam structures are mounted and moveable with relation to both sets of butts.

2. In a machine for knitting a sweater or the like having a, body portion with a tail and side band, a needle bed, a set of needles mounted upon the needle bed to knit the body portion and tail, a second set of needles mounted upon the needle bed to knit the band, single-butt jacks toshift the body portion knitting needles, double-butt jacks to shift the band knitting needles, each double-butt jack having amain butt and an auxiliary butt, a first cam structure including stitch cams arranged to engage the butts of the single-butt jacks after the needles in the body portion knitting group have engaged the yarn, a separate cam structure including stitch cams arranged to engage the auxiliary butts of the double-butt jacks after the needles in the band knitting group have engaged the yarn, the main butts of the double-butt jacks being adapted to engage the first cam structure when the double-butt jacks are released from the control of the second cam structure, a carriage moveable with relation to both sets of butts and means to fxedly secure the cam structures to the carriage so that all stitch cams travel in a fixed path during the knitting operation'of the machine.

3. In a machine for knitting a sweater or the like'having abody portion with a tail and side band, means to knit the body portion and tail including a set of needles and single-butt jacks,

means controlling the operation of the singlebutt jacks including stitch cams having high points arranged to engage the butts of the singlebutt jacks after the body portion knitting needles have engaged the yarn, means to knit the band including double-butt needles and jacks, each double-butt jack including a main butt and auxiliary butt, and means to controlthe operation of the double-butt jacks including stitch cams having high points arranged to engage the auxiliary butts after the needles in the band knitting group have engaged the yarn, the high points of the second named cams being disposed higher than the high points of the first named cams, the arrangement being such that the stitch cams for the double-butt jacks retract them for a greater distance than the single-butt jacks are retracted by their stitch earns, the main butts of the double-butt jacks co-acting with the control means of the single-butt jacks when the double-butt jacks are freed from control by the control means of the double-butt jacks and means to reciprocate all cams in a fixed path during the knitting operation of the machine.

4. In a machine for knitting asweater or the like having a body portion with a tail and side bands, means to knit the side bands including sets of needles and set of double-butt jacks, each double-butt jack having a main butt and an auxiliary butt, means to knit the body portion and tail including a set of single-butt jacks arranged between the sets of double-butt jacks, means to control the action of the single-butt jacks including adjustable stitch cams having high points arranged to engage the butts of the single-butt jacks after the needles in the body portion knitting group have engaged the yarn, means to control the action of the double-butt jacks including stitch cams having high points arranged to engage the auxiliary butts after the needles in the band knitting groups have engaged the yarn, the main butts being adapted for co-action with the control means of the single-butt jacks and means to reciprocate each cam in a fixed path during the knitting operation of the machine.

5. In a machine for knitting a sweater or the like having a body. portion with a tail and side band; means to knit the body portion and tail including a'set of needles and a 'set of singlebutt jacks; means to knit the band including a setoof needles and a set of double-butt jacks, each double-butt jack having a main butt and auxilia'ry butt, means for controlling the action of the single-butt jacks including stitch cams having'highpoints arranged to engage the butts of the singles-butt jacks after the needles of the body portion knitting group engage the yarn to retract the same, themain butts of the doublebutt jacks co-acting with the control means, and stitch cams having high points arranged to engage the auxiliary butts after the needles in the. band knitting groups engage the yarn for retracting the double-butt jacks independently of the first named stitch cams and means to reciprocate each cam in a fixed path during the knitting operation of the machine. 7

- 6. In a machine for knitting a sweater or the likehaving a body portion and a tail and side band, means to knit the body portion and tail including a set of needles and set of single-butt jacks, means to knit the band including a set of needles and set of double-butt jacks, each double-butt jack having a main butt and auxiliary butt, means for controlling the action of the single-butt jacks including stitch cams having high points arranged to engage the butts of the single-butt jacks after the needles in the body portion knitting group have engaged the yarn,

the stitch cams being adjustable to vary the position of their high points, the main butts of the double-butt jacks co-acting with the control means, and a cam structure including stitch cams having high points arranged to engage the auxiliary butts after the needles in the band. knitting group have engaged the yarn, the last named stitch cams being adjustable to vary the position of their high points and means to reciprocate each cam in a fixed path during the knitting operation of the machine.

7. The method of knitting a sweater having a body portion and tail and side band, comprising advancing a set of needles and engaging the yarn and retracting the needles to form loops in producing the tail and repeating the cycle of operation for a suitable number of times, advancing the same set of needles to engage the yarn and retracting the needles for a greater distance for forming longer loops in the body portion and repeating the cycle of operation for a suitable number of times whereby the tail has a greater tension than the body portion, advancing another group of needles and engaging the yarn and retracting such group of needles and repeating the cycle of operation for a suitable number of times and retracting the needles in each cycle of operation for the same distance for forming loops in the side band, whereby all loopsin the side band have the same length.

FREDERICK \V. BROWN. 

